LAHORE: Three suspected militants, allegedly belonging to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were killed in the Dera Ghazi Khan area in an operation by Rangers and police personnel, while 27 suspects were arrested from various districts in the last 48 hours.

A Ranger’s hawaldar was injured in a combing operation in Taunsa Sharif, Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab Rangers Staff Officer Col Amjad Iqbal said at a press briefing at the Punjab Rangers Headquarters on Thursday. He was joined by AIG Akhtar Abbas and Deputy Inspector General Haider Ashraf.

Our correspondent from Dera Ghazi Khan adds that the law enforcement agencies had seized a sizeable cache of weapons from the militants’ hideout during a search operation in Basti Kaleery, Chak Ali Shah, in the Saddar police precinct of Taunsa Sharif, some 100km from Dera Ghazi Khan.

Sharing details regarding the ongoing crackdown on terrorism suspects in Punjab, Col Iqbal said the police and Rangers teams had raided a militants’ hideout in Taunsa Sharif. Hawaldar Khalid was injured in the shootout with the terror suspects and was taken to CMH Multan for treatment.

Col Amjad said they had arrested two suspects while holding a snap check at the motorway near Lahore. Based on the information gathered from them, police then conducted raids in Sheikupura, Sambrial and Kharian.

He said they had taken six other suspects into custody and seized a large number of weapons including seven rifles, two repeaters, 22 pistols and 55,000 bullets from them.

Based on intelligence reports, the law enforcement agencies conducted raids in Lahore’s Defence and Manawala areas on Thursday morning and took six suspects into custody.

Col Amjad said they also conducted raids, based on intelligence reports, in Attock district and arrested a most-wanted terrorist.

He said on Wednesday morning, 12 suspected terrorists were arrested from Hafizabad district. The law enforcement agencies had conducted raids in several villages, including Par Masoo, Par Lakhan and Par Bondi, in Hafizabad district.

The suspects were involved in various criminal activities including smuggling illegal weapons and facilitating terrorists, he said, adding the Rangers and the police had seized two 8mm rifles, seven AK-47s, one rifle G-3, 16 other rifles and pistols of various calibers and ammunition.

“[The] Punjab Rangers and police are jointly carrying out operations against criminals,” he said, while adding that display of weapons and the practice of employing security guards for personal safety were illegal under the National Action Plan (NAP).

“Only security personnel of registered government institutions will be deployed for security.”

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2017